Ballast tamping apparatus

ABSTRACT

Solidly compacted ballast support for a railroad track is produced by simultaneously tamping the ballast under a tie and the ballast surrounding the tie by two groups of tampers operating at the same time.

United States Patent Inventors Ludwig Schenkir Perchtoldsdorf; Josef Dultinger, Innsbruck, both of Austria Appl. No. 831,060 Filed June 6, I969 Patented Sept. 28, 1971 Assignee Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen Vienna, Austria Priority June 11, 1968, Feb. 25, 1969 Austria A5577/68 and 1908/68 BALLAST TAMPING APPARATUS 3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

0.8. CI 104/12 E01b 27/16 Field of Search [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,791,971 5/1957 Schnellmann 104/12 3,000,328 9/1961 Plasser et a1 104/12 3,012,516 12/1961 Allemann 104/12 3,111,909 11/1963 Plasser ct al. 104/12 3,372,651 3/1968 Plasser et al. 164/12 FORElGN PATENTS 1,074,221 3/1954 France 104/12 Primary Examiner-Arthur L, La Point Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney-Kurt Kelman ABSTRACT: Solidly compacted ballast support for a railroad track is produced by simultaneously tamping the ballast under a tie and the ballast surrounding the tie by two groups of tampers operating at the same time.

BALLAST TAMPING APPARATUS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in the tamping of railroad bed ballast.

It is conventional to tamp ballast under track ties by pairs of vibratory tamping tools reciprocated towards the tie in the direction of track elongation while immersed in the ballast in the'spaces of the railroad bed adjacent the edges of the ties extending transversely to the track elongation. The ballast compacting pressure exerted by the reciprocating tools must be limited so that the tamping of the ballast under the ties does not cause the tamped tie and tracktobe lifted beyond the desired grade.

It has also been proposed to tamp the ballast in the spaces between the ties after the ballast under the ties has been tamped so that a more fully compacted ballast bed may be obtained. Similar tamping by vibratory surface tampers has also been suggested for the ballast spaces at the ends of the ties. Such surface tampers usually comprise vibratory plates pressed into contact with the surface of the ballast and preferably held under a yielding tension or pressure while a rotating out-of-balance or eccentric actuator vibrates the plate to impart a pulsating motion thereto.

Subsequent surface tamping has, however, the disadvantage that it frequently loosens the previously tamped ballast under the ties, thus leading to new errors in the track grade. Separately tamping the ballast under and adjacent the same tie also involves complicated machinery. Furthermore, ex- .30 perience has shown that this procedure does not provide the desired compactness and stability of the ballast bed.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a ballast tamping method-and apparatus which reliably compacts the ballast underneath and adjacent the track ties to 1:35 the desired depth.

This and other objects of the invention are accomplished by simultaneously tamping the ballast underneath a transversely extending track tie and the adjacent space of the bed between this tie and a next adjacent tie. For this purpose, a vertically downwardly directed force is applied to the ballast in this space to tamp the same, and a horizontally directed force is simultaneously applied to the ballast at a desired depth beneath the tie to tamp the ballast at this depth, at least one of these forces being pulsating. In this manner, the ballast under a tie is tamped while the ballast in the adjacent space is simultaneously compacted, thus avoiding the disadvantages of the prior methods involving subsequent ballast treating operation s.

When the vertical tamping force is additionally subjected to vibrations or pulsation, it serves not only to compact the ballast in the space between adjacent ties but also tamps some ballast under an adjacent tie. In view of the static pressure, the compaction of the ballast in. the deeper zones under the ties is particularly effective but a proper tie support is obtained only if a horizontally directed tamping force is also applied in such zones. This force may be according to one embodiment of the present invention a component of an obliquely directed pressure force moving towards the tie under which the ballast is to be tamped. When the ballast on the other'side of the tie is simultaneously compacted by a vertically directed downward pressure, the thus compacted ballast constitutes a counterforce preventing the ballast being tamped under the tie by the horizontally directed pressure extending towards the compacted ballast from being displaced. Thus, the two simultaneously applied tamping forces cooperate to provide a solidly compacted ballast bed.

If the pulsation of the vertical tamping force is strong enough, it will be effective to vibrate the ballast under the tie, too so that pulsation of the horizontal tamping force is not necessary. The same holds true in reverse when the horizontal tamping force also includes a vibration component. However, most effective tamping will be accomplished when both forces are vibratory, most effective operations being had when the. 5

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frequency of the pulsation of the one force differs from that of the other force, thus assuring maximum turbulence of the ballast.

The apparatus of this invention comprises a frame mounted for mobility on a track, with two groups of tamping tools mounted on the frame. The first group of tools is arranged transversely of the track and exerts a vertically downwardly directed pressure force against the ballast between two adjacent, transversely extending ties to tamp the ballast in the space between the adjacent ties. The second group of tools is spaced from the first group on at least one side thereof in the direction of track elongation and imparts a horizontally directed pressure force against the ballast under the tie adjacent the space. Means is provided for imparting a pulsating motion to the tamping tools of one or both groups, which means includes an eccentric actuator and means for holding the tamping tools under yielding tension.

The horizontally directed pressure force may be the result of the movement of the tamping tools of the second group in the direction of the track elongation while the tools are immersed in the ballast adjacent the tie. It may also constitute a horizontal component of an obliquely extending pressure produced by tamping tools extending towards the tie in an oblique direction.

The second group of tools may be arranged on both sides of the space, thus tamping ballast under two adjacent ties simultaneously while the ballast in the space between these ties is compacted by the first group of tampers. In this manner, the compacted ballast in the center of the tamping operation serves as a counterforce to the ballast being tamped under the ties towards the compacted center. In such an arrangement, two ties are effectively tamped in a single stage in a manner superior to recently proposed methods and apparatus for tamping ties in tandem.

The tamping tools of the first group are preferably surface tam ers with plate means arranged to make pressure contact with the surface of the ballast adjacent one transverse edge of a tie and its two ends while the tamping tools of the second group are immersed in the ballast adjacent the other transverse edge of the tie. The simultaneous tamping in the vertical and horizontal direction produces, as outlined hereinabove, a particularly effective condensation and compaction of the ballast.

This action is further improved by providing downwardly extending projections on the plate means of the surface tampers, which projections are immersed in the ballast and thus transmit the vibrations of the tampers to the ballast, aiding in the compaction movement of the ballast when the platelike projections extend perpendicularly to the direction of the horizontal pulsation of the surface tampers. In this manner, the ballast is vibrated in a horizontal direction while simultaneously being subjected to a vertically downwardly directed pressure force of the surface tampers so that the tamping extends not only deeply into the ballast but also moves the same horizontally under the adjacent tie.

The tamping pressure of the tamping tools is increased if the same are held under a yielding tension or pressure while they are pressed vertically downwardly or horizontally. Therefore, according to one feature of the invention, compression springs are mounted between the tool holders or carriers and the tools to keep the same biased towards the ballast.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood when considered in connection with the following detailed description of certain now preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic side views of the tamping assemblies of respective embodiments of ballast tamping apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a similar side view of another embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a track grading machine comprising a tamping assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view showing the operation of the tamping assembly illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic side views of ballast surface tamping means useful in the tamping apparatus; and

FIGS. 8 and 8a illustrate two embodiments of a preferred detail of the surface tamper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a frame 1 of a carriage mounted for mobility on a track in the operating direction indicated by arrow 2. The track includes transversely extending ties 9 on each side of which extends a respective space 8 and 4 of the ballast railroad bed which supports the track.

A first group of ballast tamping tools 3 is mounted on frame I. The tamping tools 3 are arranged transversely of the track (a single tool being shown in the side view), and means, such as the illustrated hydraulic motor, is provided for imparting to these tamping tools 3 a vertically downwardly directed pressure force against the ballast in space 4. This pressure force imparting means is supplemented by an out-of-balance or eccentric rotary actuator 6 imparting a pulsating motion to the surface tamper, to which the actuator is fixedly attached, and a compression spring 5 mounted between the actuator and the piston rod of the hydraulic motor mounted on frame 1 to exert a yielding tension on the tamping tools. When depressed, the spring 5 stores kinetic energy exerting a pressure or tension on the surface tamper, thus increasing its effectiveness.

Viewed in the operating direction, a second group of ballast tamping tools 7 precedes the first group of tools. The tamping tools 7 are also mounted on frame 1 and are so spaced from the first group of tools that they may be immersed in the space 8 when the first group of tools compacts the ballast in space 4, the tie 9 being positioned between the two groups of tamping tools. Tamping tools 7 are mounted on a vertically adjustable tamping tool carrier for immersion into the ballast. Their upper ends are connected to a support arm 10 which is vibrated by a crank shaft extending transversely to the track whereby a pulsating or vibratory motion is imparted to the tamping tools while they are moved about a transversely extending pivot 11 in the direction of track elongation, for instance, by a hydraulic motor, to impart a horizontally directed pressure force against the ballast under tie 9 when the tool is immersed in the ballast.

Since the second group of tamping tools forms, in substance, one side of an otherwise conventional pair of vibratory and reciprocating ballast tamping tools, such as shown in US Pat. No. 2,876,709 and many subsequent patents of Franz Plasser and .losef Theurer, it has not been illustrated or described in detail to avoid prolixity. Their structure and operation will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and form part of the present invention only in the combination with the surface tamper.

The surface tampers 3a of the embodiment of FIG. 2 differ from those of FIG. 1 only by stronger compression spring means 5a mounted between the hydraulic motor and the eccentric rotary actuator 6a. The tamping tools 12 of the second group are mounted for oblique vertical movement into the ballast on a carrier frame 17. The carrier frame is mounted for glidable movement on obliquely extending columns 17 which are mounted on carriage frame 14 and extend obliquely towards tie 9 and the first group of tampers. A hydraulic motor moves the carrier 17 along the columns 17 for immersion of the tamping tools 12 into the ballast. The tamping tools are fixedly attached to an out-of-balance actuator 13 which is mounted on the carrier frame and imparts a pulsating or vibratory motion to the tamping tools, a compression spring 15 being mounted between a shoulder on the piston rod of the hydraulic motor and the carrier frame to exert a yielding tension on the tamping tools. Another hydraulic motor 16 linked respectively to the frame 14 and carrier frame 17 reciprocates the tamping tools in the direction of track elongation to tamp the ballast under tie 9 when the tamping tools are immersed in the ballast and while the surface tamper 3a tamps the ballast in the adjacent space between the ties.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 2 but increases the efficiency of the apparatus, like reference numerals indicating like parts operating in a like manner in both embodiments. In this embodiment, a pair of like tamping tools 12, 12 are mounted on carriage frame 14, with the surface tamper 3a positioned therebetween, so as to tamp the ballast under adjacent ties 9, 9 simultaneously with the tamping of the ballast in the space 4 between these ties, the tamping tools 12, 12' being obliquely directed towards the surface tamper and being reciprocated by hydraulic motors 16, 16'.

FIG. 4 shows a generally conventional track grading or leveling machine including a carriage frame 21 mounted on wheels running on track 26 and having an overhanging frame portion forwardly of the front wheel for support of a ballast tamping assembly. A track lifting device 22 is also mounted on the overhanging frame portion for lifting the track in respect of reference line 23 extending from a front bogie 24 positioned in an ungraded track section to a rear station 25 supported on a previously graded track section in a well-known manner.

The tamping assembly includes the tamping tools 28 which are mounted for vertical movement on columns 27 so that they may be immersed in the ballast. The lower ends of the tamping tools have flat plates extending parallel to the ties and the tools may be reciprocated in any suitable manner in the direction of track elongation towards an adjacent tie so that, upon immersion in the ballast, the ballast is tamped under the adjacent tie. Additionally, each tool is shown to be mounted for vibration and is under yielding downward bias.

Similarly to the embodiment of FIG. 2, surface tampers are mounted on the overhanging frame portion for operation in the space between the ties on the other side of the tie under which the tools 28 tamp the ballast, the surface tampers being mounted on vertically adjustable holders 30. As more clearly shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lower ends of the surface tampers have plates 31 for pressure contact with the surface of the ballast whence downwardly projecting extensions 32 extend into the ballast when the plates 31 contact the ballast surface. The plates 31 are subject to horizontally extending vibrations and the extensions 32 extend perpendicularly to these vibrations to transmit this pulsating motion to the ballast during tamping.

The operation of the tamping assembly of FIG. 4 is clearly shown in the top view of FIG. 5 which, in broken lines, shows an additional group of tampers 28 of the same type as tampers 28 so that the ballast under the ties 29 adjacent the surface tampers may be simultaneously tamped. Also, the ballast adjacent the ends of the ties is simultaneously tamped by sur' face tampers 33, 33' also mounted on the carriage frame 21.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the surface tampers are under yielding tension or downward pressure by means of compression springs 34 and are vibrated by one (FIG. 7) or more (FIG. 6) rotating out-of-balance or eccentric actuators 35 which impart a horizontal pulsating motion to the plates 31.

FIG. 8 shows one embodiment of a downwardly projecting extension of plate 31 for transmitting the pulsating motion of the plate to the ballast. The extension 32' is trapezoidal while the extensions 32" of FIG. 8a are triangular.

As is apparent from FIG. 5, the tamping assembly simultaneously tamps the ballast surrounding a tie while the ballast under the tie is tamped to assure a compact ballast bed. Preferably, the surface tampers are subjected to a pulsating motion extending transversely to the track elongation while the vibrating motion of the tampers compacting the ballast under the adjacent tie or ties is directed in the direction of track elongation.

Page 1 of 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,608,496

DATED September 28, 1971 INVENTOR(S) Ludwig Schenkir et al It is certified that error appears in the aboveioentrfied patent and that sard Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

After column 4, add the following:

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with certain now preferred embodiments, it will be clearly understood that many variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art, particularly after benefiting from the present teaching, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for tamping the ballast of a railroad bed to provide a compacted ballast support for the track, comprising a frame mounted for mobility on the track, a first group of ballast tamping tools mounted on the frame and arranged transversely of the track, means for imparting to the tamping tools of said first group vertically downwardly directed pressure force against the ballast between two adjacent, transversely extending ties to tamp the ballast in the space between the adjacent ties, a second group of ballast tamping tools mounted on the frame and spaced from the first group on at least one side thereof in the direction of the track, means for simultaneously imparting to the tamping tools of said second group a horizontally directed pressure force against the ballast under the tie adjacent said space, means for imparting a pulsating motion to the tamping tools of at least one of said groups, said means including an eccentric rotary actuator, and means for holding the tamping tools under yielding pressure.

2. An apparatus for tamping the ballast of a railroad bed to provide a compacted ballast support for the track, comprising a frame mounted for mobility on the track; a first ballast Page 2 of 2 UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. I 3,608,496

DATED September 28, 1971 |NVENTOR(S) Ludwig Schenkir et al 2 rs cer ified that error appears In the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

tamping means mounted on the frame, said first ballast tamping means including plate means extending transversely of the track for surface engagement with the ballast in the space between two adjacent, transversely extending ties and extending transversely of said space adjacent the ends of one of said ties, means for exerting a vertically downwardly directed pulsating pressure force upon the plate means to force the same into pressure contact with the ballast surface, and flat extensions projecting from the plate means in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pulsating force exerted upon the plate means: and second tamping means mounted in the frame, the second tamping means including vibratory tamping tools, means for immersing the vibratory tamping tools in the ballast adjacent said one tie and spaced from the first tamping means in the direction of the track on the other side of said one tie, and means for simultaneously imparting a horizontally directed force to the immersed vibratory tamping tools in the track direction to tamp the ballast under the one tie.

3. An apparatus for tamping the ballast of a railroad bed to provide a compacted ballast support for the track, comprising a frame mounted for mobility on the track: a first ballast tamping means mounted on the frame, said first ballast tamping means including plate means extending transversely of the track for surface engagement with the ballast in the space between two adjacent, transversely extending ties and extending transversely of said space adjacent the ends of one of said ties, and means for exerting a vertically downwardly directed pulsating pressure force upon the plate means to force the same into pressure contact with the ballast surface, said means for imparting a vertically downwardly directed pulsating pressure force including compression spring means exerting a yielding pressure upon the plate means: and second tamping means mounted in the frame,

Page 3 of 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. l 3,608,496

DATED September 28, 1971 INVENTOR(S) 1 Ludwig Schenkir et al It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that sard Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown betow:

the second tamping means including vibratory tamping tools, means for immersing the vibratory tamping tools in the ballast adjacent said one tie and spaced from the first tamping means in the direction of the track on the other side of said one tie, and means for simultaneously imparting a horizontally directed force to the immersed vibratory tamping tools in the track direction to tamp the ballast under the one tie.

Signed and Sealed this thirtieth D f March 1976 [SEAL] Arrest.

RUTH'C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arlesnng Officer Commissioner u/Paienls and Trademarks 

1. An apparatus for tamping the ballast of a railroad bed to provide a compacted ballast support for the track, comprising a frame mounted for mobility on the track, a first group of ballast tamping tools mounted on the frame and arranged transversely of the track, means for imparting to the tamping tools of said first group vertically downwardly directed pressure force against the ballast between two adjacent, transversely extending ties to tamp the ballast in the space between the adjacent ties, a second group of ballast tamping tools mounted on the frame and spaced from the first group on at least one side thereof in the direction of the track, means for simultaneously imparting to the tamping tools of said second. group a horizontally directed pressure force against the ballast under the tie adjacent said space, means for imparting a pulsating motion to the tamping tools of at least one of said groups, said means including an eccentric rotary actuator, and means for holding the tamping tools under yielding pressure.
 2. An apparatus for tamping the ballast of a railroad bed to provide a compacted ballast support for the track, comprising a frame mounted for mobility on the track; a first ballast tamping means mounted on the frame, said first ballast tamping means including plate means extending transversely of the track for surface engagement with the ballast in the space between two adjacent, transversely extending ties and extending transversely of said space adjacent the ends of one of said ties, means for exerting a vertically downwardly directed pulsating pressure force upon the plate means to force the same into pressure contact with the ballast surface, and flat extensions projecting from the plate means in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pulsating force exerted upon the plate means; and second tamping means mounted in the frame, the second tamping means including vibratory tamping tools, means for immersing the vibratory tamping tools in the ballast adjacent said one tie and spaced from the first tamping means in the direction of the track on the other side of said one tie, and means for simultaneously imparting a horizontally directed force to the immersed vibratory tamping tools in the track direction to tamp the ballast under the one tie.
 3. An appaRatus for tamping the ballast of a railroad bed to provide a compacted ballast support for the track, comprising a frame mounted for mobility on the track; a first ballast tamping means mounted on the frame, said first ballast tamping means including plate means extending transversely of the track for surface engagement with the ballast in the space between two adjacent, transversely extending ties and extending transversely of said space adjacent the ends of one of said ties, and means for exerting a vertically downwardly directed pulsating pressure force upon the plate means to force the same into pressure contact with the ballast surface, said means for imparting a vertically downwardly directed pulsating pressure force including compression spring means exerting a yielding pressure upon the plate means; and second tamping means mounted in the frame, the second tamping means including vibratory tamping tools, means for immersing the vibratory tamping tools in the ballast adjacent said one tie and spaced from the first tamping means in the direction of the track on the other side of said one tie, and means for simultaneously imparting a horizontally directed force to the immersed vibratory tamping tools in the track direction to tamp the ballast under the one tie. 